Electrical panelboard with stacked bus bars and mounting pan formed of grooved bars

ABSTRACT

An electrical panelboard having stacked elongated, flatwise aligned, flat bus bars and plug-in load-side connectors is provided with a mounting pan formed of flat, edgewise aligned extruded aluminum bars extending parallel to the bus bars in spaced relationship thereto edgewise thereof. Electric circuit breakers for use on the panelboard are provided with plug-on line terminal jaws for plugging on the bus bars and stab load terminals for plugging into the load-side connectors by movement of the circuit breakers parallel to the mounting pan toward the bus bars. Various combinations of two types of extruded bars are used to accommodate four different sizes of plug-in load-side connectors. The bars are longitudinally grooved to receive mounting screws for the plug-in load-side connectors anywhere along their length. Panelboards of various widths respectively accommodating circuit breakers of various sizes may be constructed by mounting various numbers of the grooved bars parallel to and at various distances respectively from each of a plurality of bus bar stacks.

ilnited l tates Patent 1191 ozenboom ELEQTRHCAL PANELBOARD WITH STACKEDBUS BARS AND MOUNTING PAN FORMED OF GROOVED BARS Inventor: GustaveRozenboom, Kokomo, lnd.

Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant ExaminerStanley J.Witkowki Attorney-Harold J. Rathbun and Paul J. Rose [57] ABSTRACT [73]Asslgnee: square D Company Park Rldge An electrical panelboard havingstacked elongated, [22] Fil d; M 20, 1971 flatwise aligned, flat busbars and plug-in load-side connectors is rovided with a mountin anformed of [21] Appl' 145269 flat, edgewise aligned extruded aluminl m ibars extending parallel to the bus bars in spaced relationship 52 us.131. ..317/119, 29/624, 29/626 thereto edgewise thereofi. Electriccircuit breakers for [51] 1111. C1. ..H02b l/02 use on the Panelboardare Provided with P [58] 1116M of Search ..317/119; 29/624, 626 terminall for Plugging 9n the bus bars and Stab load terminals for plugging intothe load-side connec- 5 References Cited tors by movement of the circuitbreakers parallel to the mounting pan toward the bus bars. Various com-UNITED STATES PATENTS binations of two types of extruded bars are usedto ac- R26 737 12/1969 Jorgensen etal ..317 119 different sizes. amide3,3091580 3/1967 Jacobs 6t al ....317 119 Connecmrs' The bars arelongmdrlany 3,309,581 3/1967 Klein ..317/119 receive mounting Screws forthe plug mad-Side 3,403,299 9 1968 Mrowka 6161 317 119 x "ectofsanywhere along their g Panelboards of 3,403,301 9/1968 Mrowka et a1...317/119 various Widths respectively accommodating circuit 3,540,71811/1970 Heffron et a1. 29/626 X breakers of various sizes may beconstructed by 3,590,332 6/1971 Anderson et a1. 317/1 19 mountingvarious numbers of the grooved bars parallel ,8 H 96 Brurnfield l 19 toand at various distances respectively from each of a 3,346,777 10/1967Leonard et al. ....317/119 plurality of bus bar Stacks 3,354,357 11/1967Jorgensen et al ..3l7/l l9 10 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures k IO 25%& 26/128 24b Z 28 l f -a 9 1 22C 34 V V -52-- Q) Q 20 a w l8 |8 4 I 6 w e a '6I6 I2 @661 ,1 6g 1 F 'T 1 l PATENTEUHARZOISYS 3 721 4 SHEET 1 BF 4 FIG.I

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GUSTAVE ROZENBOOM ELECTRICAL IPANELBOARD WITH STACKEI) BUS BARS ANDMOUNTING PAN FORMED OF GROOVED BARS Prior panelboards with stacked busbars and sheet steel mounting pans are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.3,346,777, issued Oct. 10, 1967, and 3,354,357, issued Nov. 21, 1967,and in copending application, Ser. No. 2149, filed Jan. 12, 1970, andassigned to the assignee of this application. Such mounting pans wererelatively heavy, expensive, and flexible in the larger sizes. Inaddition, a relatively large number of different types of mounting panshad to be manufactured and stocked to provide for mounting variouscombinations of different-sized circuit breakers.

An object of the invention is to provide a stronger, less expensive, andlighter mounting pan for an electrical panelboard of the type havingstacked bus bars.

Another object is to provide a mounting pan having two types ofcomponent bars which may be selected and arranged according to varioussizes of circuit breakers and plug-in load-side connectors to beaccommodated.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent when the followingspecification is considered along with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a mounting pan constructed in accordance withthe invention and having component bars arranged to receive two sizes ofcircuit breakers and plug-in load-side connectors, a central portionbeing broken away;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the mounting pan of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2a is an enlarged end view of one of the relatively narrowcomponent bars of the mounting pan of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a view taken substantially along the line 3 3 of FIG. 7 andshowing the largest of four sizes of circuit breakers and plug-inload-side connectors mounted on the component bars, a bus bar stackbeing shown schematically and without cross hatching;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but fragmentarily showing thesmallest of four sizes of circuit breakers and plug-in load-sideconnectors mounted on a single component bar of the relatively widetype;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are views similar to FIG. 4, but respectively showing thetwo next larger of four sizes of circuit breakers and plug-in load-sideconnectors mounted on a mounting pan with additional component bars ofthe relatively narrow type;

FIG. 6a is an enlarged end view of one of the relatively wide componentbars of the mounting pan of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary front view of a mounting pan similar to theright-hand portion of FIG. 1, but showing four sizes of circuit breakersand plug-in load-side connectors mounted thereon, with the requisitecomponent bars.

With reference to the drawings, a mounting pan 10 constructed inaccordance with the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The mountingpan 10 includes a pair of spaced parallel mounting members 12 preferablyof channel shape. Two relatively wide, grooved circuit breaker mountingbar members 14, preferably formed of aluminum alloy by an extrusionprocess, are secured in spaced parallel relationship adjacent oppositeends respectively to the mounting members 12 by a plurality of screws16, each end of each bar member 14 being secured by two of the screws 16to the respective mounting member 12, and each screw 16 being insertedfrom the rear of its respective mounting number 12 and threaded as shownin FIG. 2 into one of two rear grooves 14a and 14b (FIG. 6a of the barmember 14, the threads of the screw cutting into opposite sides of thegroove, as will be understood.

Also secured to the mounting members 12 and spaced outwardly of the barmembers 14 are two relatively narrow, grooved circuit breaker mountingbar members 18, preferably of extruded aluminum alloy, each end of eachbar member 18 being secured to the respective mounting member 12 by oneof the screws 16 threaded as shown into a rear groove of the bar member18 identified as groove 18a in FIG. 20.

Means is provided for mounting a stack of bus bars, or two stacks of busbars having respective pairs of bus bars electrically connected inparallel, between the bar members 14. This means includes a box member20 having outwardly extending opposite side flanges 20a and 20b securedrespectively to the bar members 14 by a plurality of the screws 16 eachthreaded into a groove 14c (FIG. 611) on the respective bar member.Secured to a bottom 200 of the box member 20 by a plurality of bolts 21are two stacks 22 and 24 (FIG. 1) of bus bars, insulators, and clampingmembers such as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the aforementioned U.S. Pat.No.

3,354,357, to which reference may be had for a detailed description.

As best shown in FIG. 2, a pair of feeder bus bars 25 and 26 supplypower to a bus bar 24a of the stack 24 and a bus bar 22a of the stack22, a pair of identical feeder bus bars 28 supply power to a bus bar 22band a bus bar 24b, and a second pair of identical feeder bus bars 28supply power to a bus. bar 24c of the stack 24 and a bus bar 22c of thestack 22. The feeder bus bars are clamped to the respective pairs of busbars of the stacks by a pair of bolts 30. A second pair of bolts 30adjacent the opposite ends of the stacks 22 and 24 from the feeder busbars 25, 26, and 28 clamps the respective pairs of bus bars of thestacks 22 and 24 to appropriate splice plates (not shown) connecting thepairs of bus bars electrically in parallel. Each of the stacks 22 and 24is braced at opposite ends respectively by a pair of right-anglebrackets 32, one of which is shown for each stack in FIG. 2. Eachbracket 32 has one leg portion clamped by a respective bolt 30 and theother leg portion secured to an end wall of the box member 20. Alsosecured to each end wall of the box member 20 is a pair of plate members34 each of which supports an insulating barrier member 36 through whichthe bus bars of the respective stack 22 or 24 extend.

The mounting members 12 are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as long enough toaccommodate two of the relatively narrow grooved bar members 18 disposedrespectively on opposite sides of the box member 20 outwardly of the tworelatively wide grooved bar members 14. In the embodiment of FIGS. 3-7,longer mounting members 12' are provided, to accommodate additional barmembers 18.

FIG. 4 shows a circuit breaker mounting means in the form of a plug-inload-side connector 40 of the type disclosed in FIGS. 2-6 of theaforementioned copending application, Ser. No. 2149. The connector 40 issecured to the bar member 14 by pairs of screws 42 threaded respectivelyinto a pair of grooves 14d and 14e (FIG. 6a). So positioned, theconnector 40 accommodates a circuit breaker 44 of the type disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 3,341,791, issued Sept. 12, 1967, but having a shroud 46,as disclosed in FIGS. 3 and of the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No.3,346,777, in which plug-on line-side jaws are provided for plugging onthe bus bars of the stack 24, and having stab terminals 48, as disclosedin FIG. 4 of the aforementioned copending application, Ser. No. 2149,for plugging into the connector 40.

FIG. 5 shows a plug-in load-side connector 50 similar to but larger thanthe connector 40. The connector 50 is secured to the bar member 14 by apair of screws 52 threaded into a groove 14f (FIG. 6a) and to the barmember 18 by a pair of screws 52 threaded into a groove 18b (FIG. 2a).So positioned, the connector 50 accommodates a circuit breaker 54 of thetype disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,345,591, issued Oct. 3, 1967, buthaving a shroud 56, as disclosed in FIGS. 3 and 5 of the aforementionedU.S. Pat. No. 3,346,777, in which plug-on line-side jaws are providedfor plugging on the bus bars of the stack 24, and having stab terminals58, as disclosed in FIG. 4 of the aforementioned copending application,Ser. No. 2149, for plugging into the connector 50.

FIG. 6 shows a plug-in load-side connector 60 of the type disclosed inFIGS. 8-10 of the aforementioned copending application Ser. No. 2149.The connector 60 is secured to the bar member 18 by a pair of plugging61 threaded into a groove 18c (FIG. 2a) and to an additional bar member18" by a pair of screws 62 threaded into the groove 18b (FIG. 2a) of thebar member 18". So positioned, the connector 60 accommodates a circuitbreaker 64 of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,355,685,1ssued Nov.28, 1967, but having a shroud 66, as disclosed in FIGS. 3 and 5 of theaforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,777, in which plug-on line side jawsare provided for plugging on the bus bars of the stack 24, having stabterminals, as disclosed in FIG. 9 of the aforementioned copendingapplication, Ser. No. 2149, and having a mounting bracket 68 withdriving cam, as disclosed in copending application, Ser. No. 802,102,filed Feb. 25, 1969.

FIG. 3 shows a plug-in load-side connector 70 similar to the connector60. The connector 70 is secured to an additional bar member 18',disposed between the bar members 18 and 18", by a pair of screws 71threaded into the groove 18c (FIG. 2a) of the bar member 18' and to anadditional bar member 18", spaced outwardly of the bar member 18-, by apair of screws threaded into the groove 18c (FIG. 2a) of the bar member18". so positioned, the connector 70 accommodates a circuit breaker 74of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,525,837, issued Aug. 25, 1970,but having a shroud 76, as disclosed in FIGS. 3 and 5 of theaforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,777, in which plug-on line-side jawsare provided for plugging on the bus bars of the stack 24, having stabterminals, as disclosed in FIG. 9 of the aforementioned copendingapplication, Ser. No. 2149, and having a mounting bracket 78 withdriving cam, as disclosed in the aforementioned copending application,Ser. No. 802,102.

FIG. 7 shows an electrical panelboard having one of the bar members 14and four of the bar members 18 disposed on one side of the bus bar stack24, as in FIG. 3, and one of each of the plug-in load-side connectors40, 50, 60, and and their respective circuit breakers 44, S4, 64, and 74mounted thereon.

Should it be desired to construct a panelboard for receiving onlyconnectors such as the connector 40 and corresponding circuit breaker44, no bar members 18 and only two bar members 14, one on each side ofthe bus bar stack, are required. Designating such a panelboard as abasic unit, two bar members 18, one on each side of the bus bar stack,may be added to construct a panelboard for receiving only connectorssuch as the connectors 40 and 50 and corresponding circuit breakers 44and 54. Four bar members 18, two on each side of the bus bar stack inthe positions of the bar members 18 and 18" in FIG. 6, may be added tothe basic unit to construct a panelboard for receiving only connectorssuch as the connectors 40, 50, and 60 and corresponding circuit breakers44, 54, and 64. Four bar members 18, two on each side of the bus barstack in the positions of the bar members 18' and 18" in FIG. 3, may beadded to the basic unit to construct a panelboard for receiving onlyconnectors such as the connectors 40 and 70 and corresponding circuitbreakers 44 and 74. Six bar members 18, three on each side of the busbar stack in the positions of the bar members 18,18 and 18" in FIG. 3,may be added to the basic unit to construct a panelboard for receivingonly connectors such as the connectors 40, 50, and 70 and correspondingcircuit breakers 44, 54, and 74. Adding eight bar members 18 to thebasic unit, four on each side of the bus bar stack, results in apanelboard, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, which can receive any of the fourconnectors 40, 50, 60, and 70 and corresponding circuit breakers 44, 54,64, and 74.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described interms of replacing the sheet steel mounting pan of the copendingapplication, Ser. No. 2149, with extruded aluminum grooved bar members,it is equally applicable to replacing the sheet steel mounting pans ofthe U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,346,777 and 3,354,357, with extruded aluminumgrooved bar members. In the latter modification, instead of the plug-inload-side connectors such as the connectors 40, 50, 60, and 70, thecircuit breaker mounting means may be screws, similar to the screws 42,extending through casings of the circuit breakers or brackets attachedthereto and threaded into grooves of the bar members 14 or 18.

Various other modifications may be made in the structure shown anddescribed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A method of manufacturing a plurality of electrical panelboards ofvarious widths respectively to accommodate circuit breakers of varioussizes, the method comprising providing a plurality of stacks of bus barseach including a plurality of elongated, flatwise aligned, flat busbars, providing a plurality of flat, longitudinally grooved bars, andmounting various numbers of the grooved bars in edgewise alignedrelationship to each other and parallel to and at various distancesrespectively from each of the stacks of bus bars edgewise of the busbars therein the accordance with the sizes of circuit breakers to bemounted on the respective panelboards.

2. A method as claimed in claim ll including mounting various plug-inload-side connector units, respectively compatible with the varioussizes circuit breakers, on the grooved bars by means of screws extendingthrough the connector units and threaded into the grooves of the bars.

3. An electrical circuit breaker panelboard comprising a stack ofelongated, flatwise aligned, flat bus bars, a plurality of flat,longitudinally grooved circuit breaker mounting bars, and means mountingthe stack of bus bars and the grooved bars in a relationship such thatthe grooved bars are parallel to and respectively at various distancesfrom the stack of bus bars edgewise of the bus bars therein and areedgewise aligned with each other.

4. An electrical circuit breaker panelboard as claimed in claim 3including a plurality of plug-in loadside connectors respectivelymounted on various ones or pairs of the grooved bars.

5. An electrical circuit breaker panelboard as claimed in claim 4including a plurality of circuit breakers each having plug-on lineterminal jaw means plugged onto bus bars of the stack and plug-in loadterminal means plugged into a respective one of the plugin load-sideconnectors.

6. An electrical circuit breaker panelboard as claimed in claim 3including a plurality of circuit breakers each having plug-on lineterminal jaw means plugged onto bus bars of the stack, and a pluralityof circuit breaker mounting means respectively mounting the circuitbreakers on various ones or pairs of the grooved bars.

7. An electrical circuit breaker panelboard as claimed in claim 6wherein the circuit breaker mounting means are plug-in load-sideconnectors and each circuit breaker has plug-in load terminal meansplugged into a respective one of the plug-in load-side connectors.

8. An electrical circuit breaker panelboard as claimed in claim 3wherein the grooved bars include bars which are relatively wide and barswhich are relatively narrow with respect to each other.

9. An electrical circuit breaker panelboaNDED claimed in claim 8 whereinthe relatively wide bars are nearer to the stack of bus bars than arethe relatively narrow bars.

110. An electrical circuit breaker panelboard as claimed in claim 8wherein the relatively wide bars have three front grooves parallel tothe bus bars of the stack and the relatively narrow bars have two frontgrooves parallel to the bus bars of the stack.

1. A method of manufacturing a plurality of electrical panelboards ofvarious widths respectively to accommodate circuit breakers of varioussizes, the method comprising providing a plurality of stacks of bus barseach including a plurality of elongated, flatwise aligned, flat busbars, providing a plurality of flat, longitudinally grooved bars, andmounting various numbers of the grooved bars in edgewise alignedrelationship to each other and parallel to and at various distancesrespectively from each of the stacks of bus bars edgewise of the busbars therein the accordance with the sizes of circuit breakers to bemounted on the respective panelboards.
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1including mounting various plug-in load-side connector units,respectively compatible with the various sizes circuit breakers, on thegrooved bars by means of screws extending through the connector unitsand threaded into the grooves of the bars.
 3. An electrical circuitbreaker panelboard comprising a stack of eloNgated, flatwise aligned,flat bus bars, a plurality of flat, longitudinally grooved circuitbreaker mounting bars, and means mounting the stack of bus bars and thegrooved bars in a relationship such that the grooved bars are parallelto and respectively at various distances from the stack of bus barsedgewise of the bus bars therein and are edgewise aligned with eachother.
 4. An electrical circuit breaker panelboard as claimed in claim 3including a plurality of plug-in load-side connectors respectivelymounted on various ones or pairs of the grooved bars.
 5. An electricalcircuit breaker panelboard as claimed in claim 4 including a pluralityof circuit breakers each having plug-on line terminal jaw means pluggedonto bus bars of the stack and plug-in load terminal means plugged intoa respective one of the plug-in load-side connectors.
 6. An electricalcircuit breaker panelboard as claimed in claim 3 including a pluralityof circuit breakers each having plug-on line terminal jaw means pluggedonto bus bars of the stack, and a plurality of circuit breaker mountingmeans respectively mounting the circuit breakers on various ones orpairs of the grooved bars.
 7. An electrical circuit breaker panelboardas claimed in claim 6 wherein the circuit breaker mounting means areplug-in load-side connectors and each circuit breaker has plug-in loadterminal means plugged into a respective one of the plug-in load-sideconnectors.
 8. An electrical circuit breaker panelboard as claimed inclaim 3 wherein the grooved bars include bars which are relatively wideand bars which are relatively narrow with respect to each other.
 9. Anelectrical circuit breaker panelboaNDED claimed in claim 8 wherein therelatively wide bars are nearer to the stack of bus bars than are therelatively narrow bars.
 10. An electrical circuit breaker panelboard asclaimed in claim 8 wherein the relatively wide bars have three frontgrooves parallel to the bus bars of the stack and the relatively narrowbars have two front grooves parallel to the bus bars of the stack.